Suburbia
by Jealous Maureen
Summary: Collins inherits a house from his greatgrandma who dies. And he pulls the RENT gang down with him. Flangst. FluffAngst. POSTPONED
1. My Mimi

Got this idea walking in my stupid neighborhood full of Republican, homophobic, anorexic, art-hating freaks. In….Suburbia. And that is the title of this story. Suburbia. Because I can do that.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own RENT.

P.S. Do not steal these song lyrics! I wrote them myself and I'll attack you if you steal them from me. Literally.

ROGER

_When did you ever get so pretty?_

_We sit alone in this room,_

_Me longing to touch you_

_But you cast your eyes away on another face_

_Afraid of facing me_

_Where did I go wrong?_

_How did I lose you?_

_Was it my actions_

_Or the ways I hide attraction_

_How did I lose you?_

_But this room is empty now_

_Without you and I playing games_

_While eating our meager chow_

_I can still feel your presence in this place_

_But you've left-_

"ROGER!"

I groaned and shot my head up. Mark was coming the door and I was sitting behind the couch, looking out the windows, watching the city life.

"Yes?"

Mark came around the couch, and I heard giggling. I sighed. Maureen was right beside him, again. A year ago, Joanne and Maureen had this huge fight. Maureen found Joanne cheating on her, when Maureen was cheating on Joanne. They broke up…again…and Maureen came to Mark, begging for just some shelter and somewhere to stay for the night. So Mark opened his arms up to Maureen and they fell in love, all over again.

Maureen hasn't cheated on Mark. I guess she felt what it was like to have your lover cheat on you when Joanne cheated on her.

Maureen has been living with us since then. She and Mark shared a room, and there was no telling what the hell went on in there.

Mark and Maureen came around the couch and looked at me. "What are you doing?" Mark asked me. I frowned and set aside my guitar.

"Watching the city."

Maureen looked outside the windows. All the lights in the apartment were off, except for the small candle that was beside me.

"Wow….it's so pretty," she whispered under her breath. Mark looked outside the window and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Makes you really appreciate New York. Watching it in its beauty at night," Mark said. "The lights really make you think and fall in love with the City again."

Mark smiled.

"It's the center of the universe."

I nodded. "Damn right it is."

"Well, I'm going to bed," Maureen told us. She kissed Mark's cheek and whispered something in his ear. She then left us and went into their room. Mark smirked to himself and I looked at him. I rolled my eyes.

"You retard."

Mark was puzzled. "What?" he asked me.

"Go get her."

"What are you talking about Roger?" Mark asked me. I glared at him.

"You can not be serious. Dude, go her up," I ordered him. Mark, somewhat appalled, quickly nodded and went into their bedroom.

I continued strumming Musetta's Waltz softly for about ten minutes. I looked at the clock. The red numbers declared that it was 3:20.

"Oh Mark! Stop it, your going too hard!"

I became quickly disgusted and wondered if Mimi and I were ever that loud when we had sex. I heard Maureen squealing a bit more and Mark groaning.

At that point, I went to bed, slightly disgusted. Oh well, what can you do?

I went to bed and laid on the springy uncomfortable bed, with the windows open. My guitar was laying beside me and I watched the clock slowly let time fly by.

I looked at the photograph beside my bed. It was of Mimi. She was smiling, her crazy curly hair was straightened and she had on very little makeup. She was wearing a long white dress and smiling that huge smile. I couldn't help but smile back at Mimi. My Mimi…

_My Mimi…_

Mimi wore that wedding dress a year and a half ago, when we stood in front of the alter, proclaiming our love to each other for all eternity. But then, seven months later she slipped away from me. She caught the flu, and she couldn't fight it off. She could fight off the disease and she slipped away. She left me.

I twisted the ring on my ring finger constantly. It was one of the few things I had to remind me of her. Even though I didn't even really need those things. I loved Mimi. We pledged our love to each other for eternity.

And for eternity I will always love my Mimi…

_My Mimi…_

I went to bed that night, with the photograph on my guitar, reminiscing the Mimi that I loved with all my heart. My Mimi, that disappeared, and can never come back. My Mimi.

My Mimi…

Yay, two chapters up tonight, I promise. DO NOT STEAL SONG LYRICS

But you can compliment me on them :3


	2. A Piece of Paper

Here we go, chapter two, like I promised.

DISCLAIMER: don't own RENT

COLLINS

I don't really know that crazy old lady everyone says I'm related to. She was small though. She didn't like liberal judges, she hated homosexuals, refused to even speak with a Democrat, and she thought Lyndon B. Johnson was the Devil disguised as an old wrinkly politician.

And I don't see how people say we were exactly alike.

I don't remember my Great Grandma Mollie. I usually called her Gran, but I never really knew her. She was old, that's all I remember. She was like, 107 or something when she died.

Gran was a crazy old lady, when Dad was in his twenties, she got put in a mental institution, because she still thought the Japanese were bombing us.

She was a crazy old bitch.

Literally.

She was released when I was about fifteen, and was transferred to a nursing home. But she was a crazy old bitch and she still held on to her house.

So when she died, she automatically gave me the house.

Well, at least that's what the letter said.

I got some creepy letter in the mail, from some hot shot lawyer in North Carolina, were Gran lived. He told me she recently died from a stroke in her sleep and she left everything to me. He wanted me to come down and settle everything with him.

And when I mean she left me everything. I mean it.

She left me everything…

She left me her house, her pearls, her clothes, her poodle, her deodorant and her money.

Yes, she left me her money.

She wasn't a wealthy bitch, but she had money. She left 'bout 30,000 dollars to me. Enough to pay the rent for a year.

I got everything from the crazy old bitch who thought Lyndon B. Johnson was Satan. The crazy old bitch, that everyone said I was like.

How?

So when I got this smart-ass letter, I didn't really know what to do. I didn't know if to believe it, toss it or even read it. But I called the guy and it was real. He wanted me to come down soon so we could settle everything.

I didn't know what to do.

I didn't want to leave New York. I didn't want to leave my friends who were in the room next to me. I didn't want to leave the lights of the city.

I didn't know what to do.

When it hit me.

If you can't bring New York. Bring what makes New York, New York.

Sorta

"What is it Collins?" Roger asked me. I smiled at them and waved the letter in front of them.

"This my friends. This is what it is."

"A piece of paper?" Roger asked me. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Not just a regular piece of paper, a piece of paper…with black ink!" Maureen exclaimed. She and Roger laughed together.

"No, it's a letter."

They froze.

"Aw, you aren't gonna leave us again, are you Collins?" Maureen asked me. I shook my head, then stopped. She gasped.

"You are gonna leave again," Mark said.

"No, no. This letter is from a lawyer."

Roger laughed. "He's been sued! He's going to jail!" Roger laughed again.

"No Roger I'm not going to jail. Sorry to rain on your parade. And besides I would go to court before I went to jail. Even two year olds know that."

Roger fell silent.

Mark was trying to grasp the concept. "Then why is this important? Can't it wait till tomorrow?"

"No! It's from a lawyer. My great-grandma's lawyer. She died and she left everything to me."

Silence fell across the room. Not the awkward silent, but the, "Oh-My-Gawd" Silence.

"What?" Maureen finally asked me.

"She left everything. She has this huge house, money and everything! She gave it to me and the lawyer wants me to come down soon to settle everything. And I want you guys with me."

They stopped.

"Collins, why would we go?" they asked me.

"Because, we need to get away. We need to spend a month or a few in this huge house and then we come back! It's perfect, it's the escape we needed."

Roger smiled. "I'll go. Sounds fun."

Mark sighed. "Someone's gotta make sure you two take your AZT. I guess I'll be beside you on that plane."

Maureen squealed. "Ooh and someone needs to…be me! I'll go too!"

I smiled. "It's settled! We'll go down next week!" I exclaimed.

"Hey Collins."

"Yeah?"

"How we gonna get down there?"

Another chapter may be up tonight. Not sure though depends on how tired I am after Futurama.


	3. Master

Sorry this is short. But I've got a nice and long Mark coming up I think you'll enjoy

DISCLAIMER: don't own RENT

MAUREEN

When we stepped out of the cab, we were all in shock. We stood in front of the house, dumbfounded.

It was two stories, a pink brick and a beautiful gray roof. The house was huge, a mansion and (the sad part) one of the SMALLER houses in the neighborhood. We couldn't believe our eyes. We were standing in front of the house that would be ours for the next three months.

"Oh...my god," I uttered.

"Collins…"

"Yeah?"

"How big is this thing?"

"It has four bedrooms," Collins said. We all turned at him. I saw him looking uneasy.

"Upstairs."

Silence.

And it wasn't that awkward silence. The "Oh-My-Gawd" silence that was reoccurring over and over again.

"Holy…shit," Roger muttered.

"Uh…"

"Can we go near it?" Mark asked.

"We can go in it," Collins told him. Mark seemed shocked that we could even step inside of it.

"Is the key golden with diamonds or something?" Roger asked Collins. Collins pulled the key out of his pocket.

"No."

"Can we go in it?" Mark asked again. I looked at him and kissed his neck.

"Pookie, can go in it now," I told him. I moved him towards it, but he was frozen in one spot. Still in utter shock that we were going to live this mansion.

"Can't we stand and admire it for a little bit?" he asked me. I rolled my eyes and pushed him.

"Come on."

"Well, since we have a couple with us. I think it is only far they get the master bedroom," Collins told us. Mark looked at him.

"Collins…it's your house. You sleep…"

"No. I'm just fine sleeping upstairs. Roger and I won't have to listen to you two anymore," Collins told us.

"Collins. You know you like listening to us," I told him.

"No, I really don't," he replied.

"Ditto," Roger responded.

Mark still refused to take it. "No, Collins…"

"For god's sake Mark, Collins wants us to take the master, so we'll take it," I told him. Mark looked at me and I grinned at Collins. "Thank you Collins," I told him.

He smiled.

"No problem Mrs. Cohen."

I glared at him.

He laughed. "What? Just practicing."

I looked at him. "Practicing what?"

There was silence as Mark shifted his feet. I suddenly understood.

"Collins, Maureen and I are not engaged!" Mark exclaimed.

Collins laughed. "Right now you aren't…"

I ignored Collins. Collins tends to joke around like that. He liked to find a target and poke fun at that target. Usually he picked on Roger, who just completely blew him off. But he liked to pick at me, because I always responded. I always made a big deal out of everything and Collins loved that feeling.

The side effects of being a Drama Queen.

Why didn't they put that on the job description?

"Come on Mark. Let's go check the master out…" I whispered to him.

I ran into the master and jumped on the bed and felt the second greatest emotion in the world.

"OH my god!"

"What?" Mark asked me.

"It's a waterbed!"

So it sucks. Big deal. The next Maureen is gonna be kick ass, because Maureen is my best character and I'm just a little bit…uh….ready for my chapter to be written in a novel I'm sharing with my friend.

And I wanted to get Chapter 4 up too.


	4. Mankind's Greatest Lie

Alrighty you people. This is from my story, White Houses, that was completely wiped out when my laptop died. :'( Oh well.

This is a Angst Chapter

NOTES: If you are a proud supporter of Suburbia and that crap, read to just Mark meets the girl.

This Mark chapter comes from my heart and I feel it is true. Please, flames and praises are appreciated for this chapter.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own RENT

MARK

I stood in the front yard, curious of what would happen in the neighborhood at night. There were houses looming over me, watching me. Empty, no noise and music flowing outside of the houses. There wasn't the sound of cars screeching and Asian taxi drivers screaming at each other. There weren't constant honking.

There were no lights.

It was about six o'clock. The sun was close to setting, but I really didn't care. I found a bike that was ancient and hooked my camera on it. I decided it was time to go on a nice ride around the neighborhood.

The camera was rolling, but nothing was happening. I looked around. There were sprinklers in the front yard and four children were running through the sprinklers, giggling insanely. They were laughing, careless of what was happening in the world around them. But I noticed one kid. She was sitting on the side, watching them with a camera in her hands. It wasn't like my camera, it was like a Polaroid Camera. It was odd. She had long black hair streaming in her face and she seemed pale. She smiled meekly at them. They were all girls, younger than her. I assumed that the girl with black hair was probably fourteen, and the girls running through the sprinklers were about nine. I could be off.

She noticed me as I rode by. I stopped and filmed them. I could tell that a few of the girls running through the sprinklers were scared of me. Obviously they didn't have people stopping and filming them all the time. It was common in New York. You just looked past that person, ignoring them.

That was why I felt invisible in New York.

But I felt like the whole world was watching me here.

"Jackie!" I heard someone hiss. The girl with the black hair broke her contact with me and looked immediately at one of the girls. "Jackie" stood up and walked towards me.

"Hi."

"Hello, look, I'm sorry if I-"

Jackie smiled. "No, it's no problem. I actually am fine with it. They just think it's weird."

I smiled. "Really?" I asked her.

She nodded.

"Yeah, I mean, it's just a camera," she told me.

Just a camera.

Just a camera?

"Well, it's not just a camera. I see through this thing. Without it I don't think I could manage to get through this world. Without this camera…"

I paused.

Without this camera…

My life would be different.

I wouldn't have won an award at the Sundance Festival without this camera. Without this camera. There would be no art. There would be no memories of Angel and Mimi. Without this camera…

Without this camera…

I would be nothing.

She smiled. "Don't worry. I get it. Everyone gets mad at me for carrying my camera around with me," she told me, gesturing to the camera that hung around her neck.

"Uh. Mark Cohen," I told her. I held my hand out to her.

"Lindsay Williams."

I smiled at her. "I better get going. If you ever want to stop by, I live in that house…on the hill," I told her. Lindsay smiled.

"I might take you up on that offer."

I got back on my bike and continued riding.

When I was riding, I watched this silent world people call paradise. There was a woman watering in her front yard, children splashing in the pool and men mowing the lawn.

That was all.

There were no muggers, no hookers roaming the streets, no junkies, no homeless people. Just an empty sidewalk and me. Just the empty sidewalk that past by the silent houses. I wondered what happened inside of those houses. They were huge, with looming red brick and glass doors. Flowers in the front yard, giving off an awkward scent to the neighborhood. They were spread out, displaying their superior beauty.

I wondered what happened behind those walls. Those walls that held the secrets of the family. The walls that created paradise-within-hell.

The walls that created Mankind's greatest lie.

The women with blond hair that didn't match the color of their eyebrows. The women who smile constantly, carting their pathetic children around with them. The women who filled their minds with useless chatter about makeup, cushions and other mindless rambles. The women who cared nothing about their family, but all about having the Best Yard of the Month.

The men who stood beside each other, toasting to themselves. They worked long vigorous hours, slaving to get more money for their family. When all of the money they earn just goes the government that filled their minds with lies of promises and peace by blowing people up. They believe the government, the people who hide everything from them, trying to pretend they are right.

The men who drink their beers beside each other, talking about their robotic wives and sheltered children. They drank to their success of the day at the work and the bonus they are getting for Christmas. The bonus that goes straight to the government. They think only of themselves, and not what is out there and what is happening within our own borders. Blind to the reality of the streets of New York City. Blind that women make careers of prostitution, junkies who live for more heroin running through their blood, homeless women and men sleeping outside in the snow on Christmas Eve. Blind to the world beyond the fake paradise.

So they sit there and toast. Toast to Mankind's greatest lie.

Their children run around outside. Carefree and forgetful of the world. Blind to the fact that children their age are dying of diseases. Blind that there are kids their age starving. Blind that the world they think exists, and is the only real thing in life.

Is just a lie.

That's all these perfect lawns and ivy covered walls were. A lie that was created to protect them. But instead of protecting people, it corrupts them. To where all the wives can think about is the new curtains, and all the men can think about is the Christmas bonus that they don't even get to enjoy. All the children think about is the next time the Ice Cream Man comes.

The corruption of mankind's greatest lie.

The lie that destroys people within the very core of their souls. Reckless women who refused to settle down come here and are tamed. The world that destroys the world that we know by hiding the truth from the people.

Behind the white washed fences and green grass. The paradise that hides us from reality.

The paradise…

That is Mankind's Greatest Lie.

The lie that drowned people.

But once you see the truth and the reality of the world. You can never drown in the lie.

That was why we would float.

Because we've been through starvation, unemployment, death, disease and homelessness. We've seen the reality from behind the lie.

So we could never drown

In Mankind's Greatest Lie.

I rode my bike past the houses, and saw a small path that led off into the distance. I thought it would be fun to explore where the path went. So I went down the road and found a small pond. There was a concrete path along the pond and the most magnificent thing I've seen yet.

A waterfall.

I stood in front of the waterfall, on the bridge watching the water rush down.

I stood in front of the waterfall and listened to the running water. So many memories rushing back into my head. Memories of happiness and bliss. Memories of pain and sorrow. Memories I never wanted to relive again. The memories that completely destroyed our lives and paths. But memories that changed our lives for the better.

I watched a woman run by, her blond hair pulled back and I studied her. I pulled the camera off the bike and zoomed in on her.

"One of the millions of victims…" I said. I lowered the camera. "One of the victims of Mankind's Greatest Lie."


	5. Dog

ROGER

I was up early the next morning. I had the worst night of sleep. I adjusted myself to falling asleep, the lights on, guitar beside me and a single candle on the floor.

But I went to bed early. I tossed and turned all night long. I think I got a total of fifty minutes.

I got up and looked at the clock beside my bed. 8:05. I frowned and threw some clothes on. I left a note, telling the others I went for a walk. Not that they care or anything.

I left the house, my hands jammed in my pockets, looking around. The sun was sneaking up behind the houses. I continued walking in a complete daze. Then I felt something biting my leg.

"What the-"

I looked down and saw a dog, eating my pant leg. It was a small dog, one of those frou-frou dogs. I tried shaking it off, but it refused to let go.

"Oliver! Stop that!" I heard someone call. I assumed it was the owner of this damn dog. And boy, they were going to get a piece of my mind,

The dog let go of my pant leg and the owner of the dog was kneeling beside it.

I looked at the owner, prepared to chew them out. But, I was immediately stopped.

"Sorry 'bout that," she apologized. She had fire red hair that was cut around her chin. It was the frizziest and curly I've ever seen. Even more than Mimi's. Which, I never found. She had brown eyes and a wide mouth. Her face was round, and freckles everywhere. But her eyebrows had a nice arch to them. She smiled at me and stood up.

"Kyndal Casey."

"Roger Davis."

"Sorry, Oliver is still teething. He's…over-protective, I guess," she said.

"Uh…I noticed."

She was obviously nervous, or anxious to keep walking. "And he has a weird obsession with flannel pants."

I looked at the pants I was wearing. "Well, guilty of charges."

She smiled even wider. "I'm real sorry."

Oliver was occupied with some grass or something in the grass. The frog hopped out of the grass and away across the street. Oliver pulled on the leash, trying to chase after it. Kyndal yanked him. Oliver then found my flannel pants again. He looked at them as if God was giving him the Holy Grail and lunged forward me.

I jumped back, not in the mood to mess with this damn dog. I didn't want it to get any of my blood. Oh my god. That'd be horrible if it bit me and I bled. God, what if I gave her dog AIDS? If that was even possible?

I sat down all the sudden and pulled my pant up, looking at where the dog bit me. No blood. Thank god.

"Uh…you okay?" she asked me.

I jerked my head up. Uh…yeah." I didn't know how to explain it to her.

_Um…I have AIDS and I want to make sure I didn't give it to your dog.  
_"What happened?"

"Uh…I tripped," I told her.

"Oh, you alright? Any scraps?" she asked me.

I shook my head, standing up. "Nope, none. I'm fine."

She looked at me.

"Okay."

I scratched my head and looked at her. We stood there for a few minutes looking at each other.

"ROGER!"

I was trying to block that shrill voice out of my mind but I knew I couldn't escape it. Kyndal seemed to be blocking it out. So I decided to try alongside with her.

"ROGER!"

I looked up and saw Maureen running towards me. She was obviously excited about something. She was wearing a jogging suit. She collided into me and laughed.

"Maureen, what the hell are you doing?" I asked her.

She laughed, tossing her head back. "Guess what?" she asked me.

I sighed.

"What?"

She laughed. "Joanne called!"

I looked at her. "Why would I want to know this?" I asked her.

"She found out we were well, you know, here. And she's going to come over sometime soon," Maureen said proudly. I looked at her.

"And how does Mark feel about this?" I asked her.

Maureen smiled. "He's fine with it. He won't admit it, but he likes Joanne," Maureen said. "Not…in the same way I did…but still!"

Maureen suddenly took notice in Kyndal, who was still standing there, trying to take everything in. Maureen smiled. "And, who is your friend Roger?" she asked me.

Shit.

"Uh, this is…Kyndal."

Maureen held her hand out to Kyndal. "I'm Maureen."

Kyndal smiled. "Kyndal. I'm sorry…"

"For what?" I asked her. She looked at Maureen then pack at me. "Oh my god. No, Maureen and I…are not…we aren't…" I looked at Maureen, who suddenly realized what was going on.

"Oh my god, no," she said.

Kyndal smiled.

"I'm sorry. Just, yeah. Don't know what to assume anymore."

Maureen smiled and laughed nervously.

"So…"

"Yeah…"

"Uh…"

"I know!" Maureen blurted out all of the sudden. "Kyndal, why don't you come to dinner sometime?" Maureen asked her.

Kyndal blinked and looked at her.

"Uh…alright, I guess so."

Maureen squealed and hit my arm. "Come on, Collins wants to head on over to the lawyers place."

Kyndal looked at us. "Wait…are you related to Ms. Mollie?" she asked us. We looked at each other.

"No, our friend is," I told her.

"Oh. She was such a good lady. I heard what happened to her poor great grandson. She couldn't stop talking about it. Poor boy, his future ruined."

Maureen was confused. "Wait…what exactly did you hear?" I asked her.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I think he was gay…I think. Atheist and HIV+. Starving in New York with his artist friends. He was a professor and had great education. Poor guy…"

I looked at Maureen and shifted my feet. Growing uncomfortable. I hope she didn't catch on. Please don't catch on…

Even Maureen was uncomfortable. But she couldn't have been more uncomfortable than me.

Please don't catch on…

"What…did I offend you or something?" she asked me.

"Um…"

"We are his artist friends," Maureen said plainly. Like she wasn't ashamed that we were just hated.

Kyndal, frozen in her spot. "Wow…I feel…I'm going now."

I watched her walk off and Maureen nudged me in the side. "Come on."


	6. Cake or Cookies?

**Sitting in Physics right now. Bored to death. My teacher's yanking on about like…velocity. Or something like that. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own RENT. **

**------ ------**

I woke up the next morning, late of course. Roger gotten up early and had an incident with a dog or something like that. Mark and Roger decided they needed to explore the neighborhood together. So they left us. Just Maureen and I.

See, I loved being alone with Maureen. She was always so, fun. She was half-way asleep this morning though. She was lounging around in pajamas, watching the ceiling. She held a cup of coffee in her small hands. I walked into the room and observed her for a while.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

She looked at me sharply.

"Observing."

"Observing what?" I asked her.

She was silent for a moment, thinking about what she observing. "The ceiling."

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason?"

I was silent.

"Not really."

She smiled and looked at me. "Hey Collins."

"Hey Mo."

I crashed on the couch next to her. "What you wanna do till Mark and Roger get back?" I asked her.

She looked at me. "I dunno."

"Come on, you always know something to do."

"Well, right now, nothing comes to mind. Except for sleep," she groaned. She collapsed on my shoulder.

"What did you do last night?"

She leaned up and glared at me. "What do you think?"

"Oh yeah."

Silence.

"So, how was it?"

I smiled and Maureen glared at me. She then grinned.

"Pretty good. I know what we are going to do!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"We are going to bake a cake."

I looked at Maureen. Maureen was talented in a lot of ways. Great singer, actress, personality, very fun and creative. But cooking? That was something Maureen wasn't gifted in.

"Cook?"

She nodded.

"What the hell?"

We went into the kitchen and found a cookbook. We gathered the materials required for the cake and we then started stirring.

When the doorbell rang.

At first we were startled. Then we figured out it was the door. Maureen, still giddy from Joanne calling this morning, skipped to the door and opened it.

I was still in the kitchen but I heard some of the conversation in the hall.

"Hello," Maureen said.

"Hello. I'm Mrs. Richardson from next door," the lady exclaimed. "My sons and I just baked some cookies to welcome you to the neighborhood!" she said.

Maureen invited them in and she called me out of the kitchen.

"This is Collins. He's my friend," Maureen said. I smiled and waved at them. Flashing my trademark teddy bear smile.

"Hello. These are my sons, Ned and Francis," she said.

"Hi, nice to met you," I said to them.

I took note of the cookies.

"Wow, thanks for those da- cookies!" I exclaimed, restraining myself from cussing.

I took the cookies and brought them into the kitchen.

Mrs. Richardson and her sons seemed uncomfortable.

When we heard the door open.

"We're home!" Mark called.

"We're in here!" Maureen called.

"Wow, what the hell are you doing in here? Cooking?" Roger asked.

Mrs. Richardson twitched and her sons covered their ears. Their mother frowned at them and removed their hands.

The door opened and Mark and Roger stood there.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry," Roger apologized to no one in general.

"Uh…hi," Mark managed.

"Hello. I'm Mrs. Richardson from next door," she said. She stood up and Mark shook her hand.

"Mark Cohen. This is my friend, Roger," he said. Roger waved and slumped in next to me. He hated this kinda stuff.

"So, what grade are you two going into?" I asked the kids. Maureen and Mark were holding hands and she kissed his neck. Mrs. Richardson was eyeing them.

"I'm going into fourth grade!" Ned exclaimed.

"And I'm gonna be in third grade this year!" Francis said excitedly.

"Wow."

Mrs. Richardson noticed that Roger was bleeding.

"Oh wow, you're bleeding," she said to Roger. Roger looked his arm and saw a cut. He stood up, scared he would get blood somewhere and we would have to throw the furniture out.

"Oh, great. I'll be right back," he said.

"Here, I'll clean it up," Mrs. Richardson said.

She stood up and came towards Roger. She touched his arm and he jerked his arm away from her. He looked around and ran into the bathroom.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "He…has…um…a disease and doesn't want to give it to you," I told her.

She looked at me and understood. "AIDS?" she asked.

I nodded.

She nodded.

"Well, we should be going now," she told us. She jerked her sons up and ran out the door. We watched her leave.

"Wow," Maureen muttered.

"Damn Republicans," Roger cursed.


	7. 7: POSTPONED

**Hey guys**

**I'm sorry to tell you guys this, but I'm gonna have to postpone this story. That doesn't mean it's gonna be discontinued. I love the plot. I just…school, kick ass story going on, two stories I'm co-writing, and two stories on Fanfic that I haven't updated in forever. **

**I will update, but not as often as…well…before I guess. Once a month. I'm so sorry, but once Away or 7 Days is out of the way, this will be back! I promise!**

**Sal**


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